Fitchburg

Miles from Boston 46

Population 39,102

Median house price $208,700 (2005)

Tax rate $12.96

Transportation Rtes. Routes 2, 2A, 12, 31. Member, Montachusett Regional Transit Authority. MBTA commuter rail. Fitchburg Municipal Airport.

MCAS Fitchburg's public school system ranked 248 out of 373 systems statewide, just behind Webster, according to a Boston Globe analysis of 2004 MCAS results. Member, Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical system.

Census facts Median family income is $43,291 compared to national rate of $50,046 nationally ; and 15 percent held a bachelor's degree or higher compared to national US rate of 24 percent.

Website www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us

FITCHBURG -- Pop quiz: What city hosts an institution of higher education, a symphony orchestra, a respected art museum, and is perched on the banks of a river?

The answer is Fitchburg, a Worcester County city that is slowly, its mayor believes, resurrecting itself from the economic doldrums suffered when manufacturing jobs moved elsewhere.

''We are a relatively small city of 40,000 people," said Mayor Dan H. Mylott. ''We have some amenities here that most communities this size don't have."

Fitchburg is on the banks of the Nashua River, a source of hydropower to run the mills that provided steady employment from the 18th century into the late 20th century.

The Thayer Symphony Orchestra performs at the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Center.

The city is home to Fitchburg State College, a 5,000-student liberal arts college, and the Fitchburg Museum of Art, created in 1925.

''We have struggles like any community or any city," Mylott said. ''But we are working very hard. Our community is not locked into the high [real estate] prices you find along Route 128 and I-495. It's a great place to bring a family and raise your kids."

On a recent week, Realtor.com listed 185 single-family homes, ranging from $125,000 for a two-bed, one-bath, 987-square-foot home to $600,000 for a three-bed, 1.5-bath, 2,500-square-foot home. Median price of a single-family home in early 2005 was $208,700, according to the Warren Group, which publishes real estate information.

JOHN RICHARDSON ELLEMENT